Apparatus for attaching paper fasteners



July 25, 1939. E. F. BQENGER El AL APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING PAPER FASTENERS Filed June 20, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lawardffimiyar Zlnzer WI? y 25, 1939- E. F. BUENGER ET AL 2,166,933

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING PAPER FASTENERS Filed June 20, 1936' 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 '1 4H; 5 ii Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING PAPER. FASTENERS Edward F. Buenger, Oak Park, and Elmer W.

Bacon, Chicago, Ill.,

assignors to Wilson- Jones Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 20, 1936, Serial No. 86,318

13 Claims.

This invention relates to fasteners and more particularly to an apparatus for attaching a fastener to a file folder, card, sheet of paper or similar backing support.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple and efiicient apparatus adapted to secure a conventional fastener to any suitable backing support. Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus showing one embodiment of our invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a fastener of the type adapted to be attached to a file folder, sheet, card or any suitable backing support;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the fastener attached to the backing support; 20 Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus with the plunger in its lowermost position;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 except that the plunger is in its uppermost position;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan View of the apparatus; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of the apparatus.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates a bench or table top adapted to serve as a support for the apparatus hereinafter described. The apparatus includes a platen 3 adapted to support a fastener 4 with its sheet retaining prongs 5 projecting at right angles to the base of the fastener. The fastener may also be provided with one or more attaching tines 6. The platen 3 is preferably provided with a pair of parallel grooves 1 adapted to receive a pair of reinforcing ribs 8- formed on the base of the fastener.

An upright member 9 secured to the table 2 in any suitable manner is provided with a wall ill positioned adjacent one edge of the platen 3. The opposite-edge of the platen 3 abuts a duplicate wall structure. A guide member H is provided with a horizontal base portion l2 adapted to rest on the table 2 and a pair of upstanding walls i3. The wall Ill is provided with a flange l4 adapted to overhang the top of the Wall I3. The forward edge [5 of each wall l3 extends over the fastener supporting portion of the platen 3 so that the prongs 5 are each held in upright position between the wall 10 and the forward edge [5 of the wall l3. The lower edge of the portion [5 is inclined or cam shaped, as inditbs cated at I6, fora purpose to be hereinafter described.

A stationary head I! is supported above the platen 3 by means of a pair of upright posts 18. The head I! is provided with a pair of notches l9 positioned directly over the prongs 5 of a fastener supported on the platen 3. The stationary head I! is also provided with a plurality of movable gauges 20 adapted to facilitate proper positioning of a file folder or other backing support to which the fastener is to be attached. The file folder or other backing support 2| is held in position between the stationary head i! and the'top of the guide member H by means of a pair of fiat plate members 22 each secured at one end to the wall 9 and having its other end secured to the table 2 as indicated at 23.

A plunger or rod 24 extends through an opening in the table 2' and has one end secured to the underside of the platen 3. The other end of the plunger is pivotally secured to a lever 25, as indicated at 26. The lever 25 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends by means of a clevis 21 depending from the table 2. The other end of the lever 25 is connected to a foot lever 28 by means of a link 29. The lever 28 is pivoted at one end to a fixed support 30 and has a foot pedal 3| at its front end. The levers 25 and 28 are so proportioned that a slight pressure on the foot pedal 3| moves the platen 3 upwardly into contact with the stationary head ll. The plunger 24 is provided with a coiled spring 32 adapted to move the platen back to its initial position as soon as the pressure on the foot pedal is released.

The edge of the platen 3 engages the edge of the walls l3 of the guide member ll so that the guide member is progressively moved in a line extending at right angles to the path of travel of the platen. The forward edges [5 of the side Walls l3 cooperate with the walls In to hold the prongs 5 in proper position until they are projected through the file folder or other backing support 2|. As the platen 3 moves upwardly the guide member I l. is moved b-ackwardly so that by the time the base of the fastener 4 is adjacent the file folder the portions [5 of the guide member II are out of the way as shown in Figure 5. The attaching tines 6 are also forced through the file folder or other backing support and are clinched thereagainst by dies 33 secured in the stationary head [1.

As shown in Figure 5 the prongs 5 project through the notches l9 when the base of the fastener is in engagement with the file folder or other backing support. As soon as the pressure on the foot pedal 3| is released the file folder with the fastener attached thereto may be removed by a slight forward pull on the folder. As soon as the platen 3 is moved downwardly the guide member H is automatically moved forwardly by means of a pair of springs 34 each of which has one end secured to a bracket 35 carried by the fixed wall I 0. The other end of each spring 34 is secured to a bracket 36 carried by the wall l3 of the guide member.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have devised a simple and efiicient apparatus for projecting the prongs of a fastener through a file folder or other backing support and clinching attaching tines against the folder to permanently secure the fastener to the folder. While we have described a preferred embodiment of our invention in detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is illustrative, rather than r-estrictive, as many details may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of our invention. Accordingly, we do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described, except as limited by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a

platen for supporting a fastener with its prongs,

bent substantially perpendicularly to its base, means for moving said platen in the direction in which said prongs are pointed. means engaging said prongs for guiding said prongs during the movement of said platen, and means for moving said guide means in a line extending at right angles to the path of travel of said platen during the movement of said platen.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a platen adapted to support a fastener having its prongs projecting upwardly, a guide member provided with side walls adapted to engage said prongs and means for moving said platen upwardly, said side Walls being so shaped as to be engaged by said platen and to be moved thereby at right angles to the path of movement of said platen during its upward movement.

3. In an apparatus for attaching fasteners to file folders, means for supporting a file folder, a platen for supporting a fastener with its prongs projecting toward said file folder, means for moving said platen toward said. file folder, and a member having cam shaped side walls engaging said prongs to guide said prongs into contact with said file folder, said platen engaging said cam shaped side walls to move said member out of the path of travel of said platen.

4. In an apparatus for securing fasteners to file folders, a platen adapted to support a fastener with its prongs extending upwardly, a guide member adapted to engage said prongs, means tosupport a file folder above said prongs, and means to move said platen upwardly to force the prongs of said fastener through said file folder, said platen engaging said guide member to force said guide member out of its path of travel as it moves toward said file folder.

5. In an apparatus for securing fasteners to file folders, means for supporting a file folder, a movable platen supporting a fastener with its prongs projecting towards said file folder, a; guide member engaging said prongs to guide said prongs into engagement with said file folder, said guide member having a pair of inclined walls, and means to move said platen to project said pr ngs through said file folder, said platen engaging said inclined walls to move said guide member out of its path of travel as it moves toward said file folder.

6. In an apparatus for attaching fasteners to file folders, means supporting a file folder, a platen supporting a fastener with its prongs projecting toward said file folder, means for moving said platen towards and from said file folder, a guide member having cam shaped side walls engaging said prongs to guide said prongs into contact with said file folder, said platen engaging said cam shaped side walls to move said guide member out of the path of travel of said platen,

and spring means to move said guide member back into its initial position. I

7. In an apparatus for attaching fasteners to file folders, means supporting a file folder, a platen supporting a fastener below said file folder, said fastener having its prongs and an attaching tine projecting upwardly, a stationary head positioned adjacent said file folder, means for moving said platen upwardly to project said prongs and said tine through said file folder, said head being provided with a pair of notches to allow said prongs to project therethrough, and means on said head to clinch said attaching tine to said file folder.

8. In an apparatus for securing fasteners to file folders, means supporting a file folder, means supporting a fastener with its prongs projecting towards said file holder, a guide member engaging said prongs, means to move said fastener so as to project said prongs through said file folder, and means moving said guide member at right angles to the path of travel of said fastener during the movement of said fastener towards said file folder, said prongs and said guide member being so proportioned that said prongs pierce said file folder before said guide member is disengaged from said prongs.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, a movable platen supporting a fastener, guide means engaging the prongs of said fastener, cam means for moving said guide means in a plane perpendicular to the plane of movement of said platen to disengage said guide means from said prongs during the movement of said platen in one direction, means for automatically moving said platen in the opposite direction, and spring means for moving said guide means back to prong engaging position during said last mentioned movement of said platen.

10. In a device of the class described for applying fasteners to file folders, means for supporting a file folder, a platen for supporting a fastener with its prongs extending toward said file folder, means for moving said platen toward said file folder, and means having cam shaped walls to cooperate With the prongs of the fasteners to guide the same into contact with the folder and hold them in spaced parallel relation, said platen in its movement engaging said cam shaped walls to move them out of the path of travel of said platen.

11. In a device of the class described for applying pronged fasteners to file folders, means for supporting a file folder, a platen for supporting a fastener with its prongs extending toward said file folder, said platen being mounted for movement in a path toward and away from said file folder, means for moving said platen toward said file folder, guiding means supported for movement in a direction transverse to the path of movement of said platen, said guiding means when operatively positioned being adapted to cooperate with the prongs of the supported fastener to guide said prongs into contact with the folder and hold them in spaced parallel relation, and cam means whereby movement of said guiding means in said transverse direction and from operative position is adapted to be effected by said platen in the movement of the latter toward the file folder.

12. In a device of the class described for applying pronged fasteners to file folders, means for supporting a file folder, a platen for supporting a fastener with its prongs directed toward said file folder, said platen being mounted for movement toward and away from said file folder, means for moving said platen toward said file folder, movably supported guiding means spring-biased to operative position wherein the same is adapted to co-operate with the prongs of the supported fastener to guide said prongs into contact with the folder and hold them in spaced parallel relation, and means whereby said guiding means is adapted to be cammed from operative position by said platen in the movement of the latter toward the file folder.

13. In an apparatus for attaching fasteners to file folders, means for supporting a file folder, a

platen for moving a fastener into engagement with said file folder with its prongs projecting through said file folder, two pairs of guide members of substantial length for supporting said prongs before and after they are projected through said file folder, one of said pairs of guide members being movable to avoid interference with the fastener during the movement of said fastener into engagement with said file folder.

EDWARD F. BUENGER. ELMER W. BACON. 

